2021/03/15 by Cortes, James Vergara, Tran, Jennifer, Abueg, Jude Christian Jimenez +1
#Cylindropuntia echinocarpa #Mojave Desert #desiccate #human disturbance #soil crust
paper · doi:10.21973/n3cd4c
In desert regions, soil crust serves a vital role in the survival of many plants. During drought conditions, desert plants experience elongated periods of water stress, increasing competition with other plants. Previous research has shown a symbiotic relationship between plants and soil crust as it prevents evaporation. However, there is little knowledge of the effect of soil crust on golden cholla. We surveyed areas surrounding golden cholla, Cylindropuntia echinocarpa, near Sweeney Granite Mountain Research Center in the Mojave Desert. We measured the health and size of golden cholla, accounting for human disturbance and surrounding plants, and taking into consideration current drought conditions. Our study found that soil crust does not have an effect on golden cholla health or size. We did find that higher coverage of small plants decreased golden cholla size, whereas higher rock coverage increased golden cholla size. This provides further evidence that the presence of small plants inhibits golden cholla growth.